


Press On

by avatarkorsami21



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Anxiety, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mara is alive, Minor Violence, Pining, Rivalry, Sexual Tension, This is me projecting, can it b slow burn if the tournament is one weekend? let's find out, d1 rugby players, mentions of alcohol eventually, play 15s during the school year, rated M for injuries and language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:35:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatarkorsami21/pseuds/avatarkorsami21
Summary: She-Ra Rugby Tournament AUEach year college rivals, Bright Moon University and the University of the Fright Zone, have a less official "rematch" at a local 7s tournament. After taking a very tough blow at last year's tournament, Bright Moon is looking to defend their title as Social Division Champions.
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Press On

**Author's Note:**

> First fic aka spop goes to Pitch A Tent.  
> sorry in advance. i have no idea what i am doing. 
> 
> you don't need to know much about rugby but if you want to know more: https://www.usa.rugby/rugby101/

_“Ball’s out! PRESSS!!” Glimmer yells._

_Adora peels off the scrum and runs straight toward the Fright Zone scrum-half, Lonnie. If she could stop the ball from getting out, then they’d have a chance to turn the ball over in a ruck. Before she can make it three feet, Lonnie passes the ball out to the Fright Zone fly-half, Catra. Adora couldn’t help but grin as she slams Catra to the ground, ball still in her hands._

_“Get off!” Catra yelps as she reaches upwards to place the ball at the edge of the ruck forming around them. Adora tries to move, but too many bodies were moving around her, she was stuck._

_“Roll away!” yells the Sir. Adora fidgets inside the ruck, trying to show the Sir that she can’t move no matter how badly she wants to. Worried that the Sir might call a penalty, Adora squirms around more bringing her even closer to the Fright Zone fly-half._

_Why is the ruck taking forever? Isn’t the ball out by now? Adora wonders._

_“Hey, Adora,” Catra teased. Lost in thought and frustration, Adora hadn’t realized she was inches away from Catra’s face. A blush started to creep up onto Adora’s face, “Move it out now, Lonnie!” Catra yells and suddenly the tangle of limbs disappears around them. As Adora looks up the field she sees the Fright Zone 12 hauling ass up the sideline to the try zone._

_Fuck, Adora thinks._

_“Better luck next time,” Catra yells as she runs down the field to kick for the extra points._

_“Adora!” Glimmer calls from down the field, “ADORA!”_

_***_

Adora opens her eyes to Glimmer waving her hands and screaming at her from the driver’s seat, “C’mon Adora, wake UP! We’re getting close to the fields.”

“Sorry, I fell asleep.”

“I know it’s early, but we are trying to talk strategy for this year and we need you.” Glimmer explains, “Bow, continue please.”

“Okay, so based on Instagram stalking and our team group chat here’s what we know: The Fright Zone will have a team in the Social Division this year, despite injuries ending their official season. At least three people from their current team will be playing – Lonnie, Scorpia, and… what’s their captain’s name again?”

“Catra,” Glimmer says angrily. “I can’t wait to slam her into the ground. If she tries the same dangerous shit as last year! I’ll be in the sin bin all match.”

“Oookay, Glimmer. Calm down. I heard she’s coming off an injury anyways,” Bow says.

“C’mon, are you serious? After what she did to Adora.” Glimmer starts.

“It’s fine, guys. Really. It was just as much my fault.” Adora was beginning to zone out. Did strategy really matter? It was 7s, not 15s. The chances of a scrum are slim and lineouts are essentially nonexistent. They just needed to focus on creating space on the pitch, and not make any dumb passes like last year.

“Adora, you were out for over seven months,” Glimmer reminds her as if she needed reminding.

“What does this have to do with strategy?”

“Adora’s right, we need to focus. It looks like they are going to have a lot of faster players this year and some legendary alum. We need to be prepared. They have an entire roster, we have five people and a list of odd friends willing to whore for us. If we get injured…” Bow trails off.

 _If we get injured we’re fucked_ , Adora thought. She unconsciously touches the scar on her collarbone, then pulls the hood of her jacket back up over her head. As Bow and Glimmer continue to drone on about who’s playing, Adora stares out the window into the woods surrounding them. _We have to win this year. We can’t lose the title._

***

About six years ago, Mara, a former Bright Moon player, received 25 acres of land in the Whispering Woods. It was left to her by her mother, Razz, who had passed away in a car accident. Mara decided to move out to the middle of nowhere and start a farm. However, she had a plot of land that was ‘not conducive for farming’ that she didn’t know what to do with. At one point Mara was going to sell it, but when her old teammate Serenia called her and asked if she could host a pick-up rugby game on the empty land, Mara said, “Want to host a tournament too?”

A year later, the Grayskull 7s Tournament was up and running. The empty plot of land became eight makeshift rugby pitches. At the far end of the clearing, a small structure was built with restrooms, an office, and a supply closet. On the opposite side of the fields, was a dirt parking lot that had a small gravel road leading off of Mara’s land back to the main road.

The tournament started as a way for old players around Etheria to get together and relive their old college days. One weekend in July, the parking lot would fill up with cars. Old players would camp out in the forest, drink, social, and play rugby. Starting the third year, more teams started to apply from professional clubs and soon the tournament had three separate brackets – social, club, and elite – and three separate championships.

Mara never imagined all of this would come from one phone call, but she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Today marks the fifth year of Grayskull 7s. The fifth year of the unspoken head to head social division showdown that everyone looked forward to: her alma mater Bright Moon University versus the University of the Fright Zone. The first year, Bright Moon demolished the Fright Zone. However, until last year, the Fright Zone had clinched the title two years in a row. The past three championship matches between the two teams were close, each team winning by a single try.

As she walked down from her house to the office excitement filled her chest and a tiny bit of fear. She hoped that no matter what it wouldn’t be a repeat of last year.

***

After thirty minutes of listening to Bow and Glimmer ‘talk strategy,’ they finally pulled off onto the dirt path leading to the fields.

“I’m so excited!” Bow beamed. “I wonder what the t-shirt will look like this year!”

“I know right. I wonder who the designer is!” Glimmer chimed in. Each year Grayskull 7s got an artist around Etheria to create a design to be screen printed onto t-shirts. Last year, the tank Adora bought had ‘Grayskull 7s’ on the front and a fire breathing horse on the back. It was easily the coolest shirt Adora owned.

Glimmer pulled the car into the dirt lot at the edge of the fields. As they climb out of the car a jeep blaring music speeds into the spot next to them.

“Adora, Glimmer, Bow!” Sea Hawk calls out the window over the music. Sea Hawk had been their team manager at Bright Moon for the past two years. No one knows how he got the job. The team never had a manager before. We weren’t sure why he came to practice until Coach Angella introduced him, but every year since he comes to help them at summer tournaments. In the passenger seat, Mermista is next to him looking thoroughly annoyed.

“Sea Hawk!” Bow exclaims heading toward the side of their vehicle. “Is this another new car?”

“Why yes, it is! Thank you for noticing! I forgot to put the parking brake on my last one and… it veered down a hill, into a shop, and caught on fire.”

“How does this keep happening to you?” Glimmer asks, completely baffled.

Sea Hawk shrugged as the other side door flings open and Mermista exits the car, “That. Was. The. Worst. Ride. Ever.”

Adora and Glimmer stifle a laugh as the blue-haired girl walks over clearly exhausted.

“Oh, my dear Mermista!” Sea Hawk sings before he is cut off.

“Make! It! Stop! I just wanted to sleep on the way here.”

“Long drive?” Glimmer asks.

“From Salineas? You have no idea.” Mermista had been playing rugby for ten years and was the best player Adora had ever shared the pitch with. However, when the semester ended Mermista went home to Salineas instead of everyone else who lived in Bright Moon. Adora had only been to Salineas once, and it was truly a marvelous city. Yet, during summer tournaments, it meant Mermista would have to travel way longer than everyone else. _I bet they have been driving since 6am_. The thought always made Adora cringe. Although, they started driving out here at 7.

“Let’s get the tents set up and maybe we can both nap before warming up,” Adora says looking at Glimmer, who also interrupted her sleep.

***

“Hey, want to go check-in?” Glimmer asks. Now that the tents were set up it was time to find out when and where their matches were going to be. They weave through the sea of tents and other arriving teams, heading toward the small building on the other side of the fields.

Approaching the building, Adora notices the merch tent next door that they would have to check out after. Thankfully, there was no line to check in because they had arrived early enough.

“Hey, here to check in for Bright Moon,” Adora says trying to avoid the obvious questions Mara might have.

“Hey, girls! How are y’all? Ready for this year’s showdown?” Mara asks.

“Oh, you know it! We’re not going to let go of our championship title this year!” Glimmer replies.

“Can’t wait. It’s always so great to see y’all here playing every year. I’m surprised to see you back,” Mara looks at Adora. “I wasn’t sure if-”

“Oh yeah. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Best tournament around.” Adora tried not to sound so awkward, but this is exactly what she wanted to avoid. “Hey Glimmer, I’m gonna go check out the t-shirts. Can you finish checking us in?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Adora tried to pretend like she couldn’t see the death glare Glimmer was giving Mara for bringing it up.

Drifting over to the merch tent, Adora is blown away by this year’s design. _This must have been ridiculously hard to screen print._ The front of the shirt had the usual Grayskull 7s emblem on the chest. On the back of the shirt was a giant set of posts and on each side were two ‘teams’ in war gear. It looked almost like -

“Holy shit is that us and the Fright Zone?!” Glimmer was shocked and enamored at the same time. “I knew our rivalry was kind of a big deal, but this is next level!”

“Yeah,” Adora whispered. “I think so.”

“Can we have two, please? Size large.” Glimmer asks the person behind the table. The person nods, bringing over the two shirts and exchanging them for the money in Glimmer’s hand. “Oh, and I sent the match schedule out to the group.”

Adora fishes around in her jacket pockets for her phone as they turned to head back.

_Message: Glimmer  
CHAMP SQUAD _

_Match 1 Blue Field vs. High Swords 9:00am_

_Match 2 Green Field vs. Try (Fright) Zone 11:40am_

_Match 3 Purple Field vs. Hordak’s Hoes 2:15 pm_

“I see you like the art this year?” Adora didn’t have to look up to know whose voice it was.

“Catra,” Glimmer growled. The Fright Zone Captain smirked at the anger in Glimmer’s voice. _She seems different_ , Adora thought. Catra already donned the tight black and green uniform the Fright Zone wore every season. Her long hair was braided into two pigtails that fell behind each shoulder. Catra’s mouth guard was hooked into her sports bra, jutting out of the collar of her uniform. Catra looked the same as always. Except for this tournament, she wore neon green socks instead of black. The color made the ankle brace on her right foot pop out. _I wonder if that’s the injury Bow was talking about._

“Sparkles,” Catra responds, then turning her attention. “Hey, Adora.”

Adora shifts her focus from Catra’s foot to her face. It’s been almost a year since they’ve seen each other. By the time Adora could play again, Bright Moon had already faced the Fright Zone in conference and playoffs. Adora can barely get the word out, “Hey.”

“Glad you like my art. I made it _just_ for you,” she winks.

Adora’s mouth hangs slightly open. _What?_

“You **don’t** get to speak to Adora unless you’re apologizing,” Glimmer cuts in, on the verge of yelling. “We’ll see you later. I hope you enjoy losing like you did last year and ALL this year.”

Catra rolls her eyes as Glimmer pulls Adora back towards the fields in the direction of their tent. Adora can’t help the urge, she looks back to find Catra watching them as they walk away. As their eyes meet Adora’s breath hitches and she immediately turns back around.

_This is going to be a long weekend._

**Author's Note:**

> next chapter: what happened last year?


End file.
